Dr. Alexander Zehnder becomes the new CEO of CureVac

10.01.2023 16:58

Dr. After more than ten years as a board member and a three-year term as CEO of CureVac, Franz-Werner Haas will be stepping down from office on March 31, 2023. His successor will be Dr. Alexander Zehnder, who will be joining from Sanofi on April 1, 2023.

“The recent clinical validation of the performance of CureVac's proprietary mRNA technology platform represents an important turning point in the company's development into a relevant commercial player. We are therefore pleased to welcome Alexander Zehnder to CureVac. He brings extensive leadership experience in global companies such as Sanofi and Roche. Over the course of his international career, Dr. Zehnder made a significant contribution to the market launch of transformative medicines. I am convinced that Dr. Zehnder is the right person to take CureVac to the next level as a relevant company in the market,” said Jean Stéphenne, Chairman of the CureVac Supervisory Board.

“It is an honor and a truly exciting prospect to become part of the global CureVac team. “I am fascinated by the possibilities that mRNA technology can offer patients in various therapeutic areas, and I am excited by the potential of CureVac,” said Dr. Alexander Zehnder. “I look forward to working with CureVac’s dedicated team to further strengthen the company – for the benefit of patients and everyone involved.”

“Dr. “Haas has had a significant impact on the company over the last decade, especially since he took over as CEO in April 2020 during the challenging times at the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic,” said Jean Stéphenne. “Under the outstanding leadership of Franz-Werner Haas, the company has overcome unprecedented challenges and achieved significantly greater maturity. On behalf of the entire Supervisory Board, I would like to warmly thank Franz-Werner Haas for his passion and tireless commitment.”

“It has been a great privilege to serve as CEO of a company that has pioneered mRNA technology and contributed significantly to its deployment in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Franz Werner Haas. “I am very proud of what we have built together and how outstanding RNA people CureVac have worked together as a team to develop transformative medicines that save lives and improve quality of life. With our recently unveiled platform validation, we are starting a new chapter in the development of CureVac, which for me is a natural transition. CureVac is stronger than ever as I hand over management to Alexander Zehnder. His expertise will contribute greatly to CureVac’s future success.”